Lace-fastening means for footwear



Aug. 12, 1930. J. 0.,M 00NALD LACE FASTENING MEANS FOR FOOTWEAR 4 Filed Jan. 25, 1929 V DMacDana/J Patented Aug. 12, 1930 UNITED STATES JAMES DAVID MAQDON A D, or MOSMAN, NEnnsYnnEY; weenie w res;

. Ausrmrnmf 1 a LACE-FASTENING Means ron roo'rwnan Application filed January 25, 1929, Serial No; 335,067, and in Australia; m 31, 1928;

This invention relates to shoe and boot laces constructed of elastic cord or elastic tape, and it consists in adjustable tautening and holding means associated with such laces reeved taut in the eyelets, in such a way that slipping is effectively prevented and so that the fastening devices and the lace ends will k I p H metal one-half inch more or less in diameter;

be entirely secreted and discomfort to the 10 wearer obviated.

The complete fastening comprises a length of braided elastic cord or tape ofappropriate dimensions, carrying stoppers which are adapted structurally to lie flatwise between 15 the eyeletted flaps and the tongue of the shoe; one or both stoppers is or are slidable along the cord or tape but only inthe direction of shortening the distance between the stoppers. The movable stopper (or stoppers) is a metal 2 plate having a hole through itwith the metal at the rim of the hole slitted and upset to form barbs There is sufficient clearance in the hole toallow the elasticlace tobe drawn through the hole in one direction, but insufli- 2 cient clearance isofiered to allowqthe lace to be drawn through the hole in theopposite direction as the barbs 0n the stopper engage it to the lace and so lock it when an attempt is made to move the stopper in the reverse.

30 direction along the laceso that the distance between the two stoppers would beincr'ea'sed.

When only onemovable stopper is used, a'

permanent stopper is fixedon one end of the lace. p p y I;

Int-he accompanying ClIaWlIlgP- 1 Fig. 1 is a perspective side View, of a shoe 1 V in process of being laced;

through the eyelets in the shoe flanks; I I

Fig. 3 is asfragmentary frontal perspective vie'wsho'wing the shoe and the laei ng ias they" 5 appear when the reeved-iin lace" has, been E ig.-5 is. a; perspective view of one of the oppetsa I r Fig.5 is a fragmentar perspective view of is t l net eee fir ng a-P rm n stopperfixedon it; and

.IFig. 7 is: a transverse section :onlthe-line Th stopper Fig; 5, list artful ofhard withcross slitted incisions in the center of it leayi'ng acruciform aperture 11 with tangs 12 upset in the same direction, formin "barbs, which are adapted to engage thebrai ed lace 13 in the manner indicated in Fig. 4. [Thesestoppers are slidable alongthe lac'einwardly from the ends thereof on which they are re-.

spectively entered, butjthey, are immovable in tilesopposite direction, as the] barbs engage the lace and check movement of the stoppers 1 Any form of stopper may beused onlthe lower end ofthe lace, eitherthe type of stop; p ashown i F e yp hbwni Figs; 6'Iand 7; or otherwise, so=long asit i's suchthat it will nest flat between the last eyelet hole in the-flankflap 14 and the 11119.

derlying part o'f the shoe upper just above the root of the tongue 15. The sto per which is provided on the upper end 0 the lacemust, however, be a one-way runningstopper such as shownin Fig. 5. a

In lacing ashoe or boot,a stopper as inbefore described is fixed on the lower end of thelace, and the lace is then reeve d suc cessively through the pairs of eyelets in the respective flaps, crosswise, as "seen in Figs.

2 and 3,commencing underthe lowest eyelet onv one flap and finishingunder thehighest g 2 is a g n ry t pf pe'c weyelet on the other flap. 1" The lace is then 0 view showing the shoe and the'lacingas they r r is appear when theifreeved-in laceihas been drawn taut as suggested in Fig. 3, and a onewaybarbed stopper Fig. 5'cis'slippedover I heretheend of itl andpushed down along it until i j it comes tightly up-under the top yeyelet through-which the last downward pass of the lace has been made. The spare length of the lace ,above the stopper is then cut ofl; The

lace islthus permanently fixed andholds the two flapsdrawn tightly up to abutting position as seen'in Fig. 3. The elasticity of the lace allows of the neck of the shoe being.

sprung open sufiiciently to permit of the shoe being put on and taken off the foot, and it oPerates to close and hold the flaps in the c osed position whilst the shoe is being worn and whilst it is out of use. The lace may 5 stretch and elongate more or less in prolonged use. The surplus length may be takr en up from time to time by forcing the top end stopper further along the lace the released waste end beingv then out ofi 10 A fiied stopper for the lower end of the lace is illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7. It consists of a flat metal tube- 20 through which the end of the lace 21 isreeved; the sides of the stopper are compressed inward (.22) to pinch it on the lace 21 and thus to secure 1% pem'miiently thereon. Inthe drawin the thickness of the tube is exaggerated for better innst miem These stoppers should be thicker than isnecessary' for their in- 5' tegrity as it is required that they will not form 8 ptotl'tisiofi 'isfihe shoe which would cause discomfort to the foot of the wearer or that the external appee'ra-nc'e' of the shoe. It is not neeessary'thee either stopper be of 3 shap buc it is preferred that they be disco?! oval shape oh account of its obco'nte'iriehce. 7 1151 claim my invention and desire to secure by" Letters Pafte'nt is 5b A one way slidable stopper for an elastic slib hoe, c nsisting of a hard metal plate slit iwtrreshapefiofs cross to form an aperand the poit'io'ns edjacent the slit being to farm barbs which surround the aperit trite and permit the lace to be drawn through v the apertur in one direction only.

"I'n testimon whereof I afii-x my signature. JAMDS DAVID MACDONALD. 

